WorldSBK: Xavi Vierge backs up Lecuona comments: “First impressions have been really good”

Xavi Vierge has joined Iker Lecuona in saying the new 2024 Honda bike has great potential in WorldSBK next season.
Xavi Vierge, Honda WorldSBK Jerez 2023
Xavi Vierge, Honda WorldSBK Jerez 2023

Honda’s full factory project has struggled to reach tꦓhe heights many expected in recent seasons, however, a new bike for 2024 has Vierge very excited ab🦩out the upcoming WorldSBK campaign.

Testing the new machine for the first time during a two-day test at Jerez, which concluded yesterday, Vierge backed up the comments made by team-mate Lecuona who said ꧃it’s a step forward.

Vierge told WorldSBK.com: “We a🐟re happy. It has been a really good two days of testing and track co💃nditions have been really good, so we can do many laps. 

“The first test has been more about adapting ourselves to the new bike. We didn’t want to change too much. We rode 💛with the base setup that they prepared for us Tetsuta in Ja🦂pan. The first impressions have been really good. 

“The bike looks similar but there are many changes. 🙈We really feel the str⛄ong points. 

“At the 🌠moment, we can’t take enough advantage about the new strong po🍒ints but it’s just the beginning; we didn’t change many things on the bike, we just did laps to see how everything works. 

“Really happy and now﷽ we have some weeks to analyse all this data and to prepare a🌄 new plan for Portimao. We have another day before the winter break.”

Vierge started the test with th♔e 2023-spec bike but as soon as he switched there ✅was an immediate improvement.

The former Moto2 rider said: “I started with the old bike and when I jumped on the new bike, I immediately felt some strong points compared to the old bike.&nbs🍨p;

“We had two years with ♚the old bike so, at the beginning, I felt a little bit strange in some areas. During these two days, I was able to adapt and start to feel better🌠. 

“Right now, we are going a little bit faster than with the old bike, but the good point is that with the old bike, we always🎃 feel like we’re on the limit and we don’t know how to go faster, with this bike it’s like there’s a lot of room to improve. 

“We need to understand th♔e direction to follow to t🧜ake profit from all the new things.”

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